By this time, the warrior himself had settled down to rest, armor neatly arranged near the fire to dry out as the man lay opposite it - knees up, a blanket pulled over him up to his chest. Silver hair was spread on the floor behind the head turned away from the fire, one arm loosely resting over an open book across his chest…
…yet still, Rose would have found a few slices of bread and a cup of jasmine tea by his bedside.
Rose slowly sat himself up and spotted the plate of food, smiled a little, before his eyes found the Warrior’s sleeping form.
He’d never really seen him sleep before. It was oddly calming (and endearing, but Rose wasn’t about to admit that). He was about to get to his feet, but hissed quietly in pain and found out his legs were bruised after his fall.
Sighing, though not necessarily in defeat, he began eating a piece of the bread and then set about removing his armor in order to make himself more comfortable.
He might be a mannikin, but…
Maybe he didn’t have to share the same fate as the rest of them.
…he listened to every word. It wasn’t…right, for someone to feel so…worthless. His was a life, was it not? A precious life - individual, irreplaceable.
Moving beside the other, arms slipped under his body to gather him as the warrior stood. Whatever had transpired was not his business…his business was handling the aftermath, mending what someone had broken…
…it was an honor, he thought. Much more an honor than a burden.
As the stars began to twinkle in the looming sunset, armored steps set to the path from whence they had come. Perhaps the bread would still be warm…
Surrender…
As the Warrior carried his unconscious body back to the cabin, Rose had strange dreams. He could never see anything, only hear it.
Just blackness and voices.
Surrender to the darkness..!
The face of a hideous creature flashed into his mind and he jumped awake right afterwards, finding himself in the cabin he had come to call home.
He didn’t know how long he had been asleep, but his head still hurt a lot.
Highwind III: aboynamedrose: “… Then you should leave me be. For both of our…
The process of motion was swift, combative, and practiced.
Rose wouldn’t have been able to react between the time his cape was grabbed, one leg was tripped, and by his arm…
Rose bit his lip, his companion’s touch feeling soothing.
He really cared about him..?
Oh, how cruel Fortune was. Just as he had found someone who cared, he’d already seen fate’s checkmate.
“There’s no point in protecting me..!” he whispered, eyes beginning to tear up without him even realising. “I’m just a..!”
That groggy feeling came back again, much stronger than before. As much as he wanted to fight it, it cloaked him in darkness before he could even react.
“Man…”
Rose fell unconscious.
The process of motion was swift, combative, and practiced.
Rose wouldn’t have been able to react between the time his cape was grabbed, one leg was tripped, and by his arm he was thrown on the ground.
…the sun was blocked out as the warrior moved forward to stand just behind his head.
“…I will not allow you to be solus, either.”
Rose let out a cry of surprise, feeling incredibly groggy all of a sudden.
His head hurt. The fact that the Warrior was blocking out any light was not helping in the least.
“Then… what will you do… with…?”
Rose’s eyes beckoned him to sleep, but he fought the feeling away, if only for a moment.
“I will not… let myself hurt you..!”
Rose thought about what the Warrior was asking him.
Was there really a point in going back there with him? After all, he wasn’t even…
He had no right to be sheltered by a real warrior. Not anymore.
Not if even Cosmos saw him as a potential enemy.“I… don’t think I should.”
“… Then you should leave me be. For both of our sakes.”
Rose turned away from the Warrior again, eyes fixed on the sky.
It was hard to say. But it was for the best.
He was enough of a burden on the Warrior already…
Rose had heard the Warrior call him every time, but couldn’t find it in himself to reply.
Nothing felt worth doing anymore.But he could feel the man behind him, and as much as he wanted to at the moment, he couldn’t exactly ignore him.
Instead of giving a reply in words, he…
Rose thought about what the Warrior was asking him.
Was there really a point in going back there with him? After all, he wasn’t even…
He had no right to be sheltered by a real warrior. Not anymore.
Not if even Cosmos saw him as a potential enemy.
“I… don’t think I should.”
…the wind…
He raised his eyes from examining tracks in the snow to feel, to listen.
…Cosmos…
The airs shifted as though beckoning…violet eyes followed, and found the lone figure off in the distance.
…Rose?
…no. It felt too…heavy. Sitting back on his haunches, one hand drew to the hilt of his blade…
“…Rose!”
…and was forgotten just as quickly.
Swift movements brought him to his feet, weight of armor plainly disregarded as he ran forward towards the other. The youth had disappeared earlier without a trace…since the alarming discovery of his absence, out in the tundra was where the warrior’s time had been spent, searching the watery ground for footprints…he had been well on track, as well.
…it was impossible not to notice the shift in energy. Thus…the fighter stopped a good six paces from Rose…head bowed in the very slightest, helmet tucked under one arm.
“Rose…!”
…a moment remained without answer.
…a slight step forward, one arm outstretching to gesture for the other.
Gently, “…Rose…”
Rose had heard the Warrior call him every time, but couldn’t find it in himself to reply.
Nothing felt worth doing anymore.
But he could feel the man behind him, and as much as he wanted to at the moment, he couldn’t exactly ignore him.
Instead of giving a reply in words, he simply turned his head towards his companion, giving him a quick glance before his eyes fell to the ground again.
